Buddha
Vital Football Hero
I'd like you to please consider two posts that have been made on here in recent times. Both of these particular posts were made as a response to a previous comment by another poster. For equity and fairness I will include the preceding posts to provide context:
1) The context:
valenciaGill: We see hundreds of births everyday too. The virus is killing less than half of one per cent of the population.
The offensive post:
Wayne_Kerr: Let's hope you're next as you seem so keen to trivialise it.
2) The context:
nitram77: I still think it started going wrong as far back as the 50's and 60's, it was a brilliant period to live through, but it's when family life started to break down, industry began losing it's way, people started too expect something for nothing.
The offensive post:
valenciaGill: And someone decided that Britain was to become a social experiment , a multicultural paradise. With different cultures , came different values. The indigenous population wasn't asked if they want it , or even consulted. From the seeds sewn back then , we are now beginning to reap the harvest.
In one sense, a very narrow one, the first post is extremely offensive because it appears to wish death on somebody.
However, it must be remembered that this was a directed at one particular individual who has, over the pages of this forum, often posted material that many people find extremely offensive. It was an OTT response, I don't think many would argue that it wasn't, but it was aimed at one individual. Although on the surface Wayne's response seems very aggressive and unnecessary, does anybody really believe that Wayne was wishing death on valencia? Was it not an expression of exasperation? Do people not ever say things in the heat of the moment that they don't really mean? How many people have said regrettable things when they have been pushed to the limit? How many of us have said things like, "I'm gonna kill you!" and actually meant it?!
Now let us consider the second exchange. Unlike the first one this second offensive post wasn't made in the 'heat of the moment'. It came out of nowhere and was not aimed directly at one poster. It was a far more general comment and I can't see how anybody could claim it was made it the 'heat of the moment'. Rather, it was delivered calmly and unlike Wayne's post, I think it would be difficult for anybody to argue that the poster didn't really mean what he was saying (part of the evidence for this is the fact that valencia has made a number of similar posts over the years).
Furthermore, the second offensive post is offensive to very many people, not directed at one person but generally offensive. Not only to the great many people who were invited to come to Britain but also to a very large proportion of the population who reject racism and xenophobia. With regard to the members of this board I think (and maybe I'm wrong but I doubt it) that a great deal more members would have found the this second offensive post to be more offensive than the first.
If we are to consider the two posts literally and in isolation, then maybe Wayne's post is more offensive than valencia's. But if we take into consideration the context and look a little bit deeper, perhaps reading between the lines a little, how on earth can Wayne be considered as the more offensive of the two? One post was made in exasperation and directed solely at the very poster who has now contributed yet another piece of vile rhetoric. The other post was deliberately designed to cause offence to a number of people. It was full of emotive phrases such as, "social experiment", "multicultural paradise" and "indigenous population" that have no basis in truth or fact but are instead intended to perpetuate an incorrect and racist interpretation of history.
I don't think valencia should be banned for making such vile and offensive comments but I think it is an absolute travesty of justice that Wayne has been banned for losing his temper with this nasty and hateful poster. Why should Wayne have to apologise for his comment if valencia is not expected to apologise for his?
Please consider what I have said here, The Fear, and rescind Wayne's ban so that he can come back on here if he wishes. It's simply unfair to ban Wayne whilst a truly offensive poster remains free to post offensive material whenever he wants.
1) The context:
valenciaGill: We see hundreds of births everyday too. The virus is killing less than half of one per cent of the population.
The offensive post:
Wayne_Kerr: Let's hope you're next as you seem so keen to trivialise it.
2) The context:
nitram77: I still think it started going wrong as far back as the 50's and 60's, it was a brilliant period to live through, but it's when family life started to break down, industry began losing it's way, people started too expect something for nothing.
The offensive post:
valenciaGill: And someone decided that Britain was to become a social experiment , a multicultural paradise. With different cultures , came different values. The indigenous population wasn't asked if they want it , or even consulted. From the seeds sewn back then , we are now beginning to reap the harvest.
In one sense, a very narrow one, the first post is extremely offensive because it appears to wish death on somebody.
However, it must be remembered that this was a directed at one particular individual who has, over the pages of this forum, often posted material that many people find extremely offensive. It was an OTT response, I don't think many would argue that it wasn't, but it was aimed at one individual. Although on the surface Wayne's response seems very aggressive and unnecessary, does anybody really believe that Wayne was wishing death on valencia? Was it not an expression of exasperation? Do people not ever say things in the heat of the moment that they don't really mean? How many people have said regrettable things when they have been pushed to the limit? How many of us have said things like, "I'm gonna kill you!" and actually meant it?!
Now let us consider the second exchange. Unlike the first one this second offensive post wasn't made in the 'heat of the moment'. It came out of nowhere and was not aimed directly at one poster. It was a far more general comment and I can't see how anybody could claim it was made it the 'heat of the moment'. Rather, it was delivered calmly and unlike Wayne's post, I think it would be difficult for anybody to argue that the poster didn't really mean what he was saying (part of the evidence for this is the fact that valencia has made a number of similar posts over the years).
Furthermore, the second offensive post is offensive to very many people, not directed at one person but generally offensive. Not only to the great many people who were invited to come to Britain but also to a very large proportion of the population who reject racism and xenophobia. With regard to the members of this board I think (and maybe I'm wrong but I doubt it) that a great deal more members would have found the this second offensive post to be more offensive than the first.
If we are to consider the two posts literally and in isolation, then maybe Wayne's post is more offensive than valencia's. But if we take into consideration the context and look a little bit deeper, perhaps reading between the lines a little, how on earth can Wayne be considered as the more offensive of the two? One post was made in exasperation and directed solely at the very poster who has now contributed yet another piece of vile rhetoric. The other post was deliberately designed to cause offence to a number of people. It was full of emotive phrases such as, "social experiment", "multicultural paradise" and "indigenous population" that have no basis in truth or fact but are instead intended to perpetuate an incorrect and racist interpretation of history.
I don't think valencia should be banned for making such vile and offensive comments but I think it is an absolute travesty of justice that Wayne has been banned for losing his temper with this nasty and hateful poster. Why should Wayne have to apologise for his comment if valencia is not expected to apologise for his?
Please consider what I have said here, The Fear, and rescind Wayne's ban so that he can come back on here if he wishes. It's simply unfair to ban Wayne whilst a truly offensive poster remains free to post offensive material whenever he wants.